Phil Spencer extends olive branch to PS5 players as Xbox Activision Blizzard deal closes: "You are welcome here - and will remain welcome"
Oct. 13, 2023The Xbox boss has some encouraging words for PS5 and Switch owners
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Xbox bossPhil Spencerhas given players on rival consoles, most notably PS5, some reassuring words about future exclusivity, or lack thereof.
Today, October 13, the UKCMA approved Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. That was the “final regulatory hurdle” for the massive buyout following months of legal battles, which of course led toMicrosoft closing the deal earlier today. That puts several multiplatform series - Call Of Duty, Diablo, Overwatch, Crash Bandicoot, Tony Hawk, Spyro, and many more - underMicrosoft’s control.
There’s previously beenconcern over these series jumping to Xbox and PC exclusively, but Phil Spencer has extended an olive branch to other platform owners with some reassuring, albeit vague, words.
“For the millions of fans who loveActivision, Blizzard, and King games, we want you to know that today is a good day to play,” Spencer said in a statement onXbox Wire. “You are the heart and soul of these franchises, and we are honored to have you as part of our community. Whether you play on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC or mobile, you are welcome here - and will remain welcome, even if Xbox isn’t where you play your favorite franchise.”
Microsoft previously pledged tokeep Call Of Duty on PlayStation consolesfor the next 10 years, although no such promises were made about other games from the publisher. Spencer now seems to hint that nothing much would change in terms of exclusivity – at least not for series’ that are already on multiple platforms – albeit with quite some room for interpretation.
“Because when everyone plays, we all win,” Spencer adds. “We believe our news today will unlock a world of possibilities for more ways to play. Thank you for the ongoing support. We have so much more to come in the months ahead - I’m excited for the future and cannot wait to share it with you.”
Here’s theXbox Activision deal explained: all the answers to your burning questions.
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Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that’s vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he’ll soon forget.
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